A federal judge in New York decided not to grant bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs during his arraignment hearing on Tuesday, September 17. This means that the famous rapper and music executive will stay in jail while he waits for his trial, where he faces serious accusations of sexual abuse.
The charges that were made public on Tuesday claim that Combs has been involved in a long-term criminal operation. This operation allegedly includes serious crimes like sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, and bribery. If he is found guilty of all these charges, he could end up spending the rest of his life in prison.
During a busy court session on Tuesday in Manhattan, Combs officially said he is not guilty of the three charges against him. His lawyers also asked for him to be let go on a $50 million bond, promising that he would give up his passport and agree to be watched all the time.
Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky decided to go with the prosecutors’ argument. They had expressed concerns that the billionaire executive could try to escape and might scare off witnesses if he was let go. The judge concluded that Combs’ lawyers didn’t provide enough evidence to change the idea that people involved in serious cases like this should stay in jail.
An spokesperson for Combs did not immediately return a request for comment following the ruling.
Combs, who is also called Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, used to be one of the biggest names in the music world. Recently, though, he has been hit with a lot of civil lawsuits about claims of sexual abuse. This all started with a famous case from last year involving his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Although that lawsuit was settled quickly, it gained more attention when a video showing Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel went viral.
On Tuesday, the prosecutors charged Combs with leading a large criminal scheme that was focused on fulfilling his desire for “sexual pleasure.” The accusations included incidents called “freak offs,” where Combs and others supposedly gave drugs to victims and forced them to have sex with male sex workers. There were also claims of violence and threats used to make sure the victims stayed quiet.
“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” prosecutors wrote in the indictment. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”
Before the hearing on Tuesday, both parties sent in their detailed reasons to the judge about whether Combs should stay in custody until his jury trial, which might still be several months from now.
Combs’ lawyers argued that he is very reliable and has shown amazing cooperation by traveling to New York to get arrested on Monday. They proposed to pay a $50 million bond, agree to house arrest with GPS tracking, and even sell his private jet.
Sean Combs has always faced challenges head-on and never backed down, according to his lawyers. They stated that he won’t change that now. Just like he has tackled every tough situation before, he will confront this case directly, put in a lot of effort to defend himself, and come out on top.
The prosecutors countered by saying that Combs was a “serial abuser” with a past filled with violence and threats to witnesses. They worried that he might try to mess with the case against him. They also pointed out that he could still run away, even with the conditions he suggested, because he had a lot of money and faced the serious possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
“In short, if the defendant wanted to flee, he has the money, manpower, and tools to do so quickly and without detection,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant’s lack of access to his passport or private jet would not negate the fact that the defendant could easily buy his way out of facing justice.”
Following Tuesday’s hearing before a magistrate judge, Combs is set for an initial pretrial conference next week before Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., the federal district judge who will oversee the trial.